The best overall
With Philips' AVENT bottle warmer, all you have to do is add water to the reservoir, turn the dial, and wait three minutes. It circulates the water continuously to avoid hot spots, giving it a high safety score. Nothing is worse than accidentally feeding your baby scalding milk.
This gentle method ensures even heating and preserves breast milk's nutrients. The AVENT has a defrost mode for frozen milk, too. It's critical to keep in mind that the amount of time it takes to warm a bottle will depend on whether the fluid is cold or frozen, how much is in the bottle, and what kind of container is used. Three minutes might not work each time, but overall reviews on Babylist, The Bump, and Amazon all mention the AVENT works fast and heats nicely.
The bottle warmer fits AVENT bottles and a variety of others, including Tommee Tippee and Comotomo. You can also warm baby food in the warmer, providing a more natural heating option than the microwave. At a price point of about $25 to $40, you really are getting your money's worth.
While the simple and practical design makes it easy to warm milk in the middle of the night, the warmer doesn't have a timer. Instead, it has a blinking light to signal when the milk is ready. If you're not careful, you could miss the flash and overheat the liquid. I used a timer on my phone or the stove to solve this concern.
I'm not the only one who loves the Phillips AVENT. It's one of Mom's Top Picks 2018 on Baby Center. They asked 87,000 discerning parents to choose a warmer, and the AVENT won. It's also the top bestseller on Amazon for Baby Bottle Sterilizers & Warmers with about 1,580 reviews at an average 3.9-star rating. One reviewer called it "the fastest, best bottle warmer I HAVE EVER HAD!"
Pros: Super-easy to use, consistent temperatures, affordable, bottle compatibility, high-quality, fast heating, easy to clean
Cons: No loud timer, low-tech
Buy the Philips AVENT Fast Baby Bottle Warmer on Amazon for $25.49 (originally $39.99)The best budget
Let's be honest, you'll probably use a bottle warmer for about a year and a half. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends weaning by 18 months to avoid tooth decay. For some, investing in an expensive bottle warmer is a waste of money. If you agree, then the First Years 2-in-1 Simple Serve Bottle Warmer is the right choice for you. For about $16 small ones, you get a highly-recommended warmer that does the job.
All you have to do is fill up the reservoir and wait for the steam to warm up the milk. With its sleek profile, you can place the warmer in the nursery or next to the coffee machine. You can even use the supplied basket to sanitize pacifiers. I don't know how many times I used to pick up pacifiers from the floor every day.
The milk warmer accommodates a wide range of bottles, including Tommee Tippee and Comotomo, so you don't have to worry about your bottle choice. It also has an automatic shutoff, giving the baby product some serious safety points.
However, some reviewers mentioned that it feels a little cheap and is hard to clean. Gunk clogs up the reservoir after a few uses. The reason for this might be using tap water in the repository. Buy a gallon of distilled water and steam it instead.
Many budget-conscious parents love this bottle warmer on Amazon. The overall rating is 3.9-stars. It also comes recommended on a lot of mom websites like the Baby Advisor. The reviewer said, "when it comes to flashy features and extras, this may not be the best choice, but it is without a doubt, the best cheap bottle warmer." I definitely agree.
Pros: Low price, automatic shutoff, compact design, sanitizes pacifiers, fast heating
Cons: Feels cheap, hard to clean
Buy the First Year's 2-in-1 Simple Serve Bottle Warmer on Amazon for $15.40 (originally $24.99)The best for travel
For babies demanding warmed milk on the go, you'll need the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Portable Travel Baby Bottle Warmer. I love that you can throw the warmer in the bag and go. The simple design doesn't require electricity and makes warming bottles to the perfect temperature at the park, the zoo, or anywhere without an electrical outlet possible.
The portable design reminds me of soup thermoses from the '90s that kids used to take to school, except Tommee Tippee bottle warmer looks like it belongs on the shelves of REI instead of a kid's lunch bag.
The bottle warmer uses a two-part system with a stainless steel thermal flask and a plastic cover. The container holds about 12 ounces of water and keeps the liquid hot for 10 hours.
Before heading out, fill the thermos with hot water. Once you need a bottle, pour the water from the thermal container into the lid. Then place the bottle in the hot water and wait a few minutes. It's essential to test the milk before giving the bottle to your baby. Once that's done, the formula or breast milk is ready to go.
The Tommee Tippee bottle warmer is entirely compatible with your favorite baby bottle, regardless of the brand. The well-loved and reviewed bottle warmer receives the highest Amazon average rating of 4.3-stars for any bottle warmer in the baby category.
In fact, it makes 'the best baby bottle warmers list' on site after site. One reviewer called it "simple and effective," and another said, "it delivered as promised."
Pros: Easily portable, no electricity needed, simple to use, compatible with all bottle sizes,
Cons: Not good for multiple bottles in a row, accidentally spilling the hot liquid
Buy the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Portable Travel Baby Bottle Warmer on Amazon for $13.99 (originally $19.99)The best for safety
This warmer uses a water bath to heat bottles. When the bottle reaches perfect temperature, the water recedes back into the reservoir and stops heating the milk. You can fill up the tank and warm a few bottles before refilling again, making the contraption ideal for multiple babies because you don't have to worry about refilling the reservoir after each use.
The Baby Gear Lab chose this warmer as an Editor's Choice pick due to its ease of cleaning, safety features, and consistent milk temperatures. The convection heating (no steam) warms around the milk and has an automatic shutoff to avoid overheating.
Depending on the original temperature of the milk, heating can take longer than other warmers, but when it's finished, the milk has less hot spots. Another safety feature is a timer, but some reviewers report the sound hard to hear.
The warmer has versatile bottle size capabilities and warms pouches of breast milk. Some parents combine the warmer with Kiinde breast milk pouches. The pouches hook up to your breast pump, making the transition from storage to warming easy and mess-free. I wish I'd known about this feature when I was pumping.
Even though the Kiinde is simple and effective, some reviewers claimed that the reservoir was hard to clean and broke easily. With a more expensive price tag of about $50, it might not be the ideal choice for a mom on a budget. But if you're looking for a warmer that's safe, fast, and consistent than the price tag might be worth it.
One Amazon reviewer bought a second one a few months ago, showing that for some the Kiinde the only warmer to buy again and again.
Pros: Easy to clean, consistent milk temperatures, automatic shutoff, warms breastmilk pouches, great for twins
Cons: Expensive, hard to hear timer
Buy Kiinde Kozii Bottle Warmer and Breast Milk Warmer on Amazon for $47.97 (originally $59.99)The best high-tech warmer
Dr. Brown is better known for its baby bottles, but the warmer is highly-rated, too. It has an easy-to-use LCD panel featuring easy-touch buttons with a one-key start function. The warmer automatically shuts off after eight minutes and has cycle memory, so it sets your warming to the previous cycle each time. The set and forget method will save you time if you use the same amount of milk each feeding.
Audio and visual signals let you know the warming is complete. I love the countdown timer, which helps with feeding anxiety when your baby is crying for milk. Altogether, these high-tech features make it perfect for parents who want a deluxe warmer for less than $50, but Amazon regularly sells the warmer for less than $30.
Dr. Brown's Deluxe Warmer is adjustable for different bottles, but won't fit Tommee Tippee or Comotomo. Some negative reviews said that it had inconsistent heating temperatures and hard to clean. Other reviewers loved the warmer and recommended soaking the reservoir every few days to solve the cleaning issue.
With more than 2,4000 reviews on Amazon (average 3.7-stars) and a 4.2-Star rating on Target, it's an excellent choice. One parent on Baby List said, "I love it. It heats evenly. It also sanitizes small toys and binkies."
Pros: high-tech, automatic shut off, cycle memory, one key start function, multiple bottles without having to refill the reservoir
Cons: inconsistent heating temperatures, hard to clean
Buy Dr. Brown's Deluxe Warmer on Amazon for $29.95 (originally $44.99)
